Marvin L. Abney ** represents **District 73 in the Rhode Island House of Representatives, covering Newport and Middletown, since his first election in November 2012. Born November 10, 1949, in Texarkana, Texas, he is a retired Major from the United States Army and former executive assistant to the commissioner at the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Notable achievements include serving as Chair of the House Finance Committee since May 2016, where he sponsored the FY 2026 state budget bolstering Medicaid, increasing reimbursements for healthcare providers, and addressing the housing crisis; he also introduced a 2023 law increasing affordable housing set-asides and density allowances. Other roles include member of the House Committees on Veterans' Affairs and Conduct, and the Special Legislative Commission on Defense Economy Planning; he contributed to phasing out the car tax, raising the minimum wage in 2018, and restoring free bus fares for the elderly and disabled.

Education and Political Experience

• High School Diploma, Dunbar High School, Texarkana, Texas
• Bachelor's Degree in Public Administration, Stephen F. Austin State University
• Master's Degree in Management, Webster University
• MBA, University of Rhode Island
• Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Educational Leadership, Johnson & Wales University

Political Experience

• Elected to Rhode Island House of Representatives, District 73
• Chair, House Finance Committee
• Member, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs
• Member, House Committee on Conduct
• Member, Special Legislative Commission on Defense Economy Planning
• Taught general business courses at City Colleges of Chicago, European Division